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Oklahoma Watch After 23 years in the child-care industry, Laura Hatcher is edging toward a decision she doesn’t want to make. The 51-year-old Antlers resident runs one of the four licensed day-care facilities in Pushmataha County in southeast Oklahoma. But she questions whether she can keep her doors open beyond another year or two because running the business is getting more expensive and difficult. “It’s a struggle and I’m working 11, 12 hours a day,” she said. “If it continues the way it is, I’m not going to be able to keep going.” Hatcher’s problem reflects a larger trend of rising financial pressures that have caused increasing numbers of child-care facilities across Oklahoma to close their doors. Since 2008, the number of child-care homes or centers has declined by 34 percent, to 3,409, and the number of spaces in these facilities has dropped by 20 percent, according to Oklahoma Department of Human Services figures. The decline is placing a burden on parents because it means fewer choices forIn Oklahoma, Child Care Providers Are Closing Their Doorshttp://kgou.org/post/oklahoma-child-care-providers-are-closing-their-doors
81649 as http://kgou.orgSun, 04 Sep 2016 17:42:00 +0000In Oklahoma, Child Care Providers Are Closing Their DoorseditorMark Kelly and his twin brother Scott were both NASA astronauts. Scott is scheduled to embark on a year-long mission to the International Space Station later this month.Mark retired from NASA to spend more time with his wife, Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords who was shot at a public appearance in 2011.Mark now writes childrens books. His latest, Astrotwins: Project Blastoff centers around a pair of twins who spend their summer building a rocket to orbit the earth.As Mark tells Here An Astronaut Uses Books To Launch Kids Into Sciencehttp://kgou.org/post/astronaut-uses-books-launch-kids-science
48879 as http://kgou.orgWed, 18 Mar 2015 19:11:13 +0000An Astronaut Uses Books To Launch Kids Into ScienceeditorA rarely seen virus is sending children to the hospital with severe respiratory infections, and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning doctors and parents to be on the alert."Hospitalizations are higher than would be expected at this time of year," Dr. Anne Schuchat, head of infectious diseases for the CDC, said Monday at a press briefing on enterovirus 68. "The situation is evolving quickly."In August, health officials in Illinois and Missouri reported a surge in emergency room visits for severe respiratory illnesses in Chicago and Kansas City. That surge is continuing. Enterovirus 68 has been identified in 19 of 22 people tested in Kansas City, and 11 of 14 cases in Chicago. The sick patients have all been children and teenagers, and 68 percent have a history of asthma or wheezing, according to a report published Monday in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. No one is known to have died.So far about a dozen states have reported higher-than-usual numbersCDC Warns Of Fast-Spreading Enterovirus Afflicting Childrenhttp://kgou.org/post/cdc-warns-fast-spreading-enterovirus-afflicting-children
37008 as http://kgou.orgMon, 08 Sep 2014 20:08:53 +0000CDC Warns Of Fast-Spreading Enterovirus Afflicting ChildreneditorTheodor Geisel — better known as Dr. Seuss — has been charming generations of children and adults since the 1950s. And though Seuss died in 1991, a new collection of his lesser-known work, called Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories, comes out Tuesday."The four stories in this book came from columns that appeared in Redbook magazine in the 1950s," explains Cathy Goldsmith, an associate publishing director at Random House. "Dr. Seuss actually wrote a piece once a month for Redbook."As an art director in the 1970s, Goldsmith worked with Seuss and remembers when he'd come into the office to introduce a new book."He would gather everybody in a conference room, and first he would read the words to you aloud, and then he would show you the pictures," Goldsmith recalls. " ... It was fabulous, because you would meet that book — not exactly the way a reader would meet it because it hadn't all been pulled together yet — but you had that sense of discovery."The new collection featuresHorton Meets A ... Who? Introducing The Kwuggerbug, From Seuss' 'Lost Stories' http://kgou.org/post/horton-meets-who-introducing-kwuggerbug-seuss-lost-stories
37020 as http://kgou.orgMon, 08 Sep 2014 12:53:26 +0000Horton Meets A ... Who? Introducing The Kwuggerbug, From Seuss' 'Lost Stories' editorTwo young women who studied engineering at the University of Illinois want to inspire girls to become scientists by offering dolls based on real people, like Nobel Prize-winning chemist and physicist Marie Curie.Janna Eaves and Supriya Hobbs founded the Miss Possible company to offer an alternative to Barbie or American Girl dolls.In addition to the Madame Curie doll, Miss Possible is also producing aviator Bessie Coleman and computer programmer Ada Lovelace. The dolls also come with an app that lets kids learn more about the persons biography and field of study.Hobbs told Here Move Over Barbie, Here Comes Madame Curiehttp://kgou.org/post/move-over-barbie-here-comes-madame-curie
36701 as http://kgou.orgWed, 03 Sep 2014 18:30:54 +0000Move Over Barbie, Here Comes Madame CurieAssociated Press Food pantries and shelters across the state are scrambling to meet demand for food and other supplies by the homeless, kids left in the lurch because they don't have access to free and discounted meals offered when schools are in session and other residents who are down on their luck. Social service workers say supplies like meat and dairy are particularly in demand during the summer months — a period when donations to agencies tend to dip. The Iron Gate soup kitchen and food pantry in downtown Tulsa, for example, fed a record 600-plus people Wednesday. A pastor who operates the pantry at Eagle Heights Christian Center in the eastern Oklahoma town of Dewar says it's struggling to keep meats, fresh vegetables and bread on shelves. This past Wednesday, the Oklahoma City Salvation Army reported that their local food pantry would close that day because the organization had distributed all their food supplies because of an increased need. The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma also has a listOklahoma Food Pantries Scrambling To Meet Demandhttp://kgou.org/post/oklahoma-food-pantries-scrambling-meet-demand
34182 as http://kgou.orgSat, 26 Jul 2014 13:53:55 +0000Oklahoma Food Pantries Scrambling To Meet DemandAlexander HiltonBehold maidens and dragon slayers, Norman’s 38th Annual Medieval Fair takes place Friday, April 4 through Sunday, April 6. Seven stages feature non-stop music and theater performances. Food vendors provide a feast of smoked turkey legs or home made root beer as fairgoers watch jousts and jugglers until the day grows olde. In addition to the royal entertainment, more than 200 arts and crafts booths sell handmade medieval collectibles like costumes, stained glass and hand-made jewelry. What began as a small, one-day project by the University of Oklahoma’s English Department now takes place at one of Norman’s biggest public venues, Reaves Park on Jenkins Avenue. Entertaining The Hours Of Your Week With The Medieval Fair, Eve Of Nationshttp://kgou.org/post/entertaining-hours-your-week-medieval-fair-eve-nations
26312 as http://kgou.orgThu, 03 Apr 2014 13:03:12 +0000Entertaining The Hours Of Your Week With The Medieval Fair, Eve Of NationseditorAs the scheduled launch of the state health insurance marketplaces on Oct. 1 approaches, many parents have questions about covering their children. Here are a few we got recently. I am a divorced dad who has responsibility for maintaining my 15-year-old daughter's health insurance. It was easy when I was working and had a corporate health plan. Now that I am retired and covered by Medicare, I am looking for alternatives when the new exchanges open. Can I buy health insurance for just my underage daughter on these new exchanges?Yes, you can. The new health insurance marketplaces, also called exchanges, are required to sell child-only policies for children up to age 21. If you claim your daughter as a dependent on your tax return and your income is less than 400 percent of the federal poverty level ($62,040 for a family of two in 2013), you may qualify for a tax credit to reduce the cost of coverage. If your ex-wife claims your daughter as a dependent, however, in order to receive theHow Will Exchanges Change Options For Kids' Health Coverage?http://kgou.org/post/how-will-exchanges-change-options-kids-health-coverage
14105 as http://kgou.orgTue, 24 Sep 2013 15:28:00 +0000How Will Exchanges Change Options For Kids' Health Coverage?editorhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGYR_GaOfvA About five years ago, emergency room doctor Julie Brown met an 8-year-old girl who complained about a weeklong stomach ache. The girl was tight-lipped about what might be causing the pain, and she ended up visiting the Seattle Children's Hospital, where Brown works, twice. And then a third time."When I examined her, she was sitting up and chatting with me," Brown tells Shots. "She looked so well."Then, the young girl's doctors ordered an X-ray, and found something odd. "She had a stack of magnets and batteries in her stomach," Brown says. "She went right to the operating room, where they did an endoscopy. They only found a couple of them."The doctors realized they would have to open her up and look for the rest. What they found was a minefield of tiny, round rare-earth magnets she had swallowed.A battery and a magnet were stuck together in her stomach, which caused an ulcer. A little further down the line in her gastrointestinal tract wasSwallowing Tiny Magnets Can Lead To Big Trouble For Kidshttp://kgou.org/post/swallowing-tiny-magnets-can-lead-big-trouble-kids
11292 as http://kgou.orgFri, 09 Aug 2013 13:40:17 +0000Swallowing Tiny Magnets Can Lead To Big Trouble For KidseditorA Philadelphia baby, born in May, is the first child in the world conceived using a new in vitro fertilization (IVF) technique, which screens embryos for chromosomal disorders and abnormalities before implantation.People who use this technique will avoid implanting chromosomally abnormal embryos that would result in either not becoming pregnant, or in miscarriage.The concept of a designer child is not what most doctors are interested in being part of.Dr. Michael GlassnerThe cost-saving implications are huge, but the implications dont end there. The process can screen the entire human genome and pinpoint not only common genetic problems in embryos, but trait such as hair color, eye color and potential height.The process, called Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), raises ethical questions.Dr. Michael Glassner, of Main Line Health in Pennsylvania, partnered with researchers at Oxford to assist in baby Connor Levys conception.He says the team used a “low resolution” version of the technique.New IVF Technique Raises Ethical Questionshttp://kgou.org/post/new-ivf-technique-raises-ethical-questions
11106 as http://kgou.orgThu, 08 Aug 2013 14:03:57 +0000New IVF Technique Raises Ethical QuestionseditorA fresh analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests the tide may be turning on the childhood obesity front.After decades of steady increases, 19 states and U.S. territories saw small decreases in their rates of obesity among low-income preschoolers. And another 20 states held steady at current rates.A CDC map shows several Southern states — including Florida, Georgia and Mississippi — that are part of the downward trend."We're beginning to see a tipping point," CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden says. "We're beginning to see the scales tip in a more favorable, healthy direction."The changes are small. For instance, in Florida the rate fell from 14.1 percent in 2008 to 13.1 percent in 2011. And dips in other states are similar during this three-year period. The data for the new CDC report comes from the Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System.Still, Frieden says the changes are encouraging, especially for this age group. He says children who are overweight during theFalling Obesity Rates Among Preschoolers Mark Healthful Trendhttp://kgou.org/post/falling-obesity-rates-among-preschoolers-mark-healthful-trend
11085 as http://kgou.orgTue, 06 Aug 2013 18:25:17 +0000Falling Obesity Rates Among Preschoolers Mark Healthful Trendeditorhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc6J6MdoBog During a 72-hour operation that spanned 76 cities in the United States, the FBI says, agents rescued 105 sexually exploited children and apprehended 150 alleged pimps.Fox News reports that most of the children rescued during "Operation Cross Country VII" ranged in age from 13 to 17; the youngest victim was 9."Child prostitution remains a persistent threat to children across America," Ron Hosko, assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division, said in a statement. "This operation serves as a reminder that these abhorrent crimes can happen anywhere, and the FBI remains committed to stopping this cycle of victimization and holding the criminals who profit from this exploitation accountable."The FBI says that operations of this kind have so far saved 2,700 children and resulted in 1,350 convictions.CBS News adds:"The FBI says that most children who are vulnerable to such exploitation have a 'void in their lives,' be it from family,FBI: Operation Rescues 105 Sexually Exploited Childrenhttp://kgou.org/post/fbi-operation-rescues-105-sexually-exploited-children
10557 as http://kgou.orgMon, 29 Jul 2013 16:39:00 +0000FBI: Operation Rescues 105 Sexually Exploited ChildrenAssociated PressFamily members of a 5-year-old girl who was killed by her father have amended a lawsuit against the Oklahoma Department of Human Services and two child-welfare workers who were fired by the state. The girl's mother and grandparents claim in the lawsuit that Serenity Deal's death in June 2011 came about due to negligence by the state, which placed the girl with her father. The father is serving a sentence of life in prison for the girl's death. The defendants haven't yet filed papers responding to the wrongful-death lawsuit. The Oklahoman reports (http://is.gd/gnBf16 ) Serenity was placed with her father even though she was injured twice during overnight visits with him. The girl had been in foster care but DHS workers recommended she be placed full-time with her father. Family Sues Over DHS Child Deathhttp://kgou.org/post/family-sues-over-dhs-child-death
9031 as http://kgou.orgFri, 05 Jul 2013 13:56:49 +0000Family Sues Over DHS Child DeathAssociated Press An annual report on the well-being of children in the United States shows improvement in Oklahoma. The state's ranking improved from 40th to 36th among the 50 states in the Kids Count report released Monday by the Baltimore-based Annie E. Casey Foundation. The foundation ranks states based on four areas — economic well-being; education; health; and family and community issues. Survey Shows Oklahoma Children's Well-Being Improveshttp://kgou.org/post/survey-shows-oklahoma-childrens-well-being-improves
8419 as http://kgou.orgMon, 24 Jun 2013 19:24:26 +0000Survey Shows Oklahoma Children's Well-Being ImprovesAna Nospal The Journal of Pediatrics recently published results from a study indicating there is no correlation between “too many vaccines too soon” and developing autism. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 90 percent of American children entering kindergarten are immunized with most recommended vaccines. However, some parents either refuse to inoculate their children entirely or delay the CDC’s recommended schedule for injections. Maggie Pool is an Assistant Director for Clinical Services at Goddard Health Center on the University of Oklahoma campus. Over her 15 years working in the field, she has heard a lot of patients’ concerns associated with vaccines. “I think the most prevalent myth or rumor because it has never been proven is that the Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccines causes Autism,” Pool says. While fear of the effects of immunizations might dominate media coverage, Pool says that many people who avoid vaccines are actually afraid of the physicalInoculated Against Fear: Vaccines In Americahttp://kgou.org/post/inoculated-against-fear-vaccines-america
3051 as http://kgou.orgTue, 02 Apr 2013 16:51:24 +0000Inoculated Against Fear: Vaccines In America